Turbine water-wheel.



J. HAY.

TURBINE WATER WHEEL;

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 18, 1911.

1,026,580. I Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

coLUMnlAyLANpuRAPu co.,wAsmNuTON. D. C.

J. HAY.

TURBINE WATER WHEEL.

v I APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1911.v Q 1,026,580., Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. HAY.

Patented May 14,1912.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

JOHN HAY, 0F JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS.

TURBINE WATER-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 18, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912. Serial No. 644,858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Junction City, in the county of Geary and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbine Water- \Vheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wheels.

It is my aim to obtain the maximum power from the kinetic energy of the current.

Further objects are to simplify the construction of the motor and to adapt it to variations in the depth of the current which passes through the flume.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description.

My water wheel is arranged to move longitudinally upon a vertical shaft and is provided with a buoy below it which, together with counterbalances placed upon the top of the wheel, serve to hold the wheel always the proper distance below the surface of the water in order to secure the full impact of the current throughout the entire length of the blades of the wheel. I have found that when the current/is allowed to flow against the buoy, as well as against the blades, that the velocity of the wheel is somewhat reduced, whereas-if the movingwater is confined to the blades and not permitted to act against the buoy, the velocity of the wheel is increased.

My present invention consists in providing means for confining the'movingcurrent to the blades of the wheel or, conversely, relieving the buoy from the impact of the moving current at any of the various stages of vertical movement of the wheel.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specified in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a flume with my wheel mounted therein. Fig. 2 is a central, vertical, longitudinal, sectional view of' the same, the wheel being shown in elevation. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view turbine water showing more clearly the arrangement of the sectional gates, and Fig. 4 is a broken detailed view illustrating how the levers are connected to the gate sections.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the flume and 2 a rectangular frame constructed near the center thereof for supporting the vertical shaft 3. This shaft carries a gearwheel 4: by means of which the power is transmitted in any suitable manner. The wheel 5 is splined, as at6, or secured in any suitable manner so as to turn with the shaft but have vertical movement thereon.

The wheel comprises two horizontal plates or disks 7 and 8 at the top and bottom, respectively, and curved radial blades 9 extending vertically between said disks. Below the bottom disk 8 is arranged a buoy 10. Extending vertically upwardly from the top disk 7 is a series of pins 11 on which are mounted counterbalancing weights 12.

Said weights are made in sections of different sizes, as illustrated in Fig. 2, in order to secure the proper counterpoise of the wheel for holding the top disk 7 on a level with the surface of the current. It will be noted that the pins 11 are preferably arranged equidistant apart around the shaft so as not to cause any binding upon the shaft or interfere in any way with the wheel adjusting itself upon said shaft, as the water in the flume rises or falls. A vertical deflector 13 is arranged on the inflow side of the wheel and extends inwardly from the wall of the flume to a point substantially in the center of the wheel. This deflector serves to direct the current against the concave sides of the blades as they move from behind the inner edge thereof and prevents the current from acting upon the negative side of the wheel. Another vertical deflector 14 is arranged on the outlet side of the wheel and conforms to the periphery thereof, extending from the opposite side of the flume inwardly to substantially the center of the same. This second deflector retains the water in contact with half of the blades of the wheel at all times, giving said wheel the benefit of the action of the current on the full positive side.

In order to prevent the moving water from acting upon the buoy, I have provided a vertically adjustable horizontal diaphragm 15 in the flume, This diaphragm is provided with a circular opening 16, in which the lower disk 8 of the wheel fits, and is adjustably supported upon rack bars 17 arranged at the four corners of the fiume. Said rack bars are engaged by pinions 18 on shafts 19 also carrying cranks 20 whereby the diaphragm may be quickly raised or lowered, to correspond with a rise or fall in the current, by turning said cranks in one direction or the other.

In order to overcome the tendency of the wheel to rise slightly under the influence of the current, I have provided lugs 21 of any suitable form secured to the diaphragm and projecting inward over the bottom disk 8 of the wheel. \Vhile I have shown four of these lugs arranged equidistant apart, the number and location thereof may be varied to suit requirements.

It is apparent that, when the diaphragm is raised above the position illustrated in the drawings, to accommodate a corresponding rise in the wheel due to a greater depth of the current in the flume, the current would be allowed to flow below the diaphragm and come in contact with the buoy, thereby defeating the purpose of my invention, if a single inlet gate, requiring the full vertical extent of the flame to be opened at one time, were employed. Consequently, I have made the inlet gate in horizontal sections 22, of which there may be any suitable number, to allow for the proper adjustments. Said gate sections are controlled by separate levers 23, suitably fulcrumed, as at 21, and connected to their respective gate sections by links 25. Guide bars 26 are placed between the adjacent gate sections and at the top and bottom of the upper and lower sections, respectively. By means of this arrangement, it will be seen that when the diaphragm is raised, the required number of gate sections 22 may be closed in order to bring the bottom of the inlet opening on a level with said diaphragm. The outlet gate is similarly constructed of sections 27 mounted to slide on guide bars 28 and controlled by similar levers 29. The bottom section 30 of the outlet gate, however, is adapted to move vertically instead of horizontally, and is operated by rack bars 31 attached thereto and engaging pinions 33 on a shaft 32.

As illustrated, the lugs 21 have pin and slot connection, at 21, with the diaphragm in order that they may be turned or moved back out of engagement with the lower disk of the wheel when desired to raise the latter independently.

Referring to the position of the inlet and outlet gates to each other and to the dia phragm it will be seen that the inlet gate is at a greater elevation than the outlet gate which gives a line of steep declivity from the former to the latter, which will produce a much swifter current passing through the wheel from the inflow to the outflow gate than if both gates were at or near a level thus adding to the kinetic energy 'of the current.

hile I have shown the inflow and outflow openings at opposite ends of the flume, it will be understood that one or more openings at the end or side of the flume, or both, may be provided, as may be required by reason of the location and direction of movement of the wheel or wheels mounted in the flume. Other detail changes may be made in the construction herein shown and described without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention. I, therefore, reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a fiume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, a buoy arranged below said wheel, and an adjustable horizontal diaphragm fitting within the flume and around the wheel for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with a fiume anda vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, a buoy arranged below said wheel, an adjustable horizontal diaphragm fitting within the flame and around the wheel for the purpose specified, and a sectional gate for controlling the inflow to said flume to accord with the positions of the diaphragm.

3. The combination, with a flume, and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel for the purpose specified, a horizontal adjustable diaphragm fitting within the fiume and around the wheel, and means to prevent the current from flowing below said diaphragm when it is raised.

4. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein. of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitting within the fiume and around the wheel, and means to raise or lower said diaphragm in order to adjust it to the level of the bottom of said wheel.

5. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitting within the flume and around the wheel, means to raise orlower said diaphragm in order to adjust it to the level of the bottom of the wheel, and means to prevent the current from flowing below the diaphragm when it is raised.

6. The combination, with a fiume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitting within the flume and around the wheel, means to raise or lower said diaphragm in order to adjust and an inflow gate made in horizontal sections capable of independent operation whereby the space below the diaphragm, when it is raised, may be closed without cutting off the inflow to the wheel.

7. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, vertical rack bars arranged near the corners of said diaphragm, shafts carrying pinions engaging said rack bars for adjusting the diaphragm vertically to the level of the bottom of the wheel, and means to prevent the current from flowing below the diaphragm when it is raised.

8. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal, vertically adjustable diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means to prevent the current from flowing below the diaphragm when it is raised, and means to prevent the buoy from rising above said diaphragm.

9. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal vertically adjustable diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means to prevent the current from flowing below the diaphragm when it is raised, and lugs secured to the diaphragm and extending inwardly above the bottom of the wheel for preventing the same from rising above the level of said diaphragm.

10. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, counterbalancing weights on the top of said wheel, whereby the latter is maintained in proper submerged position and is capable of adjusting itself to variations in the depth of the current, and a diaphragm arranged horizontally in the flume and adjustable vertically to the level of the bottom of the wheel.

11. The combination, with a flume, and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below the wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means to adjust said diaphragm vertically to the level of the bottom of the wheel, and inlet and outlet gates made in horizontal sections for the purpose specified.

12. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy below said wheel, a horizontal vertically adjustable diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means to exclude the current from below said diaphragm, and lugs adjustably secured to the diaphragm and adapted to be extended inwardly above the bottom of the wheel or Withdrawn therefrom for the purposes specified.

13. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means for adjusting said diaphragm to the level of the bottom of the wheel, inlet gates, outlet gates, and means for adjusting said gates so that those on the inlet side will be arranged at a higher level than those on the outlet side for the purpose specified.

14. The combination, with a flume and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means for adjusting said diaphragm to the level of the bottom of the wheel, inlet gates, outlet gates, and means for adjusting said gates so that those on the inlet side may be arranged on a level with the top of the wheel and those on the outlet side may be arranged on a level with the bottom of the wheel for the purpose specified.

15. The combination, with a flume, and a vertically adjustable wheel mounted therein, of a buoy arranged below said wheel, a horizontal diaphragm fitted within the flume and around the wheel, means for adjusting said diaphragm to the level of the bottom of the wheel, an inlet gate comprising a plurality of horizontal movable sections, and an outlet gate comprising a bottom vertically movable section and a plurality of upper horizontally movable sections.

In testimony whereof, I afiiX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HAY.

Witnesses:

HENRY G. KIRBY, CHAs. H. MANLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

